The present invention relates to a method for washing an immunoassay tray, and particularly to a method for washing an immunoassay tray having beads in the wells.
A conventional washing device for use with diagnostic assays that utilize beads is designed to rinse beads in the wells separately, so as to avoid possible cross-contamination, this having been conceived as a problem by one skilled in the art if the beads in the wells have undergone different tests and are then subjected to rinsing in a common washing bath. Such kind of washing device as sold under trademark PENTAWASH II by Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, Ill., U. S. A., includes five washing probes for separately rinsing five beads in five wells. By virtue of a set of suctioning apparatus, the rinsing water can be introduced into the well through each washing probe and subsequently aspirated out of the well. Although the washing device is sophisticated, its application in rinsing the beads and the wells still cannot eliminate the drawbacks of time consumption and high cost. This inventor has overcome the prejudice which has long existed in the art, and by dipping the assay tray in a common washing reservoir has discovered that no cross-contamination will occur during the rinsing of the wells and beads in the common washing reservoir.